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Support and training

All foster carers are reviewed every year by fostering service providers and receive any training needed to ensure they are suitable to continue fostering. They are also given a supervising social worker who visits on a regular basis to offer advice and support for foster carers and their families.

Standards for foster carers

The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) has published Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Carers. This is intended to support foster carers from their approval through the first two years of service. The standards cover the main areas of the foster care role and what foster carers should know, understand and be able to do.

The CWDC also publishes a guide for foster carers to accompany the standards. Both documents are available to download from the CWDC website.

• The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) Opens new window

Fosterline

Fosterline is a free telephone helpline run by the Fostering Network. It provides information and advice for foster carers and people thinking about becoming foster carers. Subjects covered include:

• allegations of abuse
• benefits
• training
• breakdown of foster placements
• legal matters relating to fostering

The advice line is open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday (and until 8.00 pm on Wednesdays). The freephone number is 0800 040 7675.

• Fostering Network

Do foster carers get paid?

All foster carers should get a minimum allowance to cover the cost of caring for a child in their home. The national minimum allowance rates for 2009/10 are set out below:

The national minimum allowance rates for 2010/11 are:

The national minimum allowances are only the base mimimum rates. The actual allowance that a foster carer receives will depend on a number of factors, in particular the specific needs of an individual child. Some carers may also get paid in recognition of their skills, commitment or time. Fostering agencies may make one payment to cover both of these.

Do foster carers pay Income Tax?

The current rules mean many UK foster carers now pay no tax on the money they earn from fostering. Foster carers can be exempt from tax on all or most of their fostering income, depending on:

• how many children they look after
• whether or not it is a full tax year
• whether or not there are other foster carers in the same household

There is a fixed tax exemption of up to £10,000 per year (less if for a shorter period) which is shared equally among any foster carers in the same household. After that, foster carers get tax relief for every week (or part week) that a child is in their care. For every week (or part week) that a child aged 11 or older is with them, the foster carer's tax relief is £250 per child. For every week (or part week) that a child aged under 11 is in their care, the tax relief is £200 per child.

• Foster carer relief infomation from HMRC Opens new window

Do foster carers get a pension?

Foster carers are entitled to a scheme called Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) which helps them to get a basic State Pension. This is because their opportunities to do paid work are limited while they are foster caring.

From 2010, HRP will be replaced by weekly credits for parents and carers (including foster carers). These will count towards basic State Pension and additional State Pension. If you reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2010, any years of Home Responsibilities Protection you received will be converted to credits.

• Home Responsibilities Protection
• State Pension (pensions and retirement planning section)